"Oh, I knew we'd have to go on! Well, speak!" he said, kicking at a branch of elder. "To begin with, tell me what were the allusions, the insinuations made by my cousin--by my relations--by every one, in fact--as a treat----" Regina watched the nervous movement of Antonio's hand. Her eyes had again become sweet, soft, child-like, but with the sweetness of childish eyes when they are sad. "Listen, dear," she began, and her voice also was sweet but sad; "don't let _us_ fall into scandal-mongering. If the thing isn't true, what does it matter? If it is true----" "If it were true----" he interrupted, raising his head, while his hand still shook. Regina was silent not looking up. "What would you do? Would you leave me again?" She shrugged her shoulders disdainfully. "_If it is true._ Then you are still supposing it! Ah, that's what I cannot endure, Regina! It means you don't believe me. It means the malicious words of some stranger have more value for you than mine!" She was tempted to reply, "And are not you a stranger to me?" but dared not yet. "Yes, yes! I see that's what it is!" he went on, despairingly. "Now this suspicion has got into your head, now, now you believe me no longer! But I hope to cure you, see! I _hope_. Begin by telling me everything. You ought to tell me, you ought, do you hear? It concerns your honour--everybody's honour. Tell me! tell me!" She shook her head. "What is the use?" "Tell me all," he commanded. "There's a limit to my patience also!" "Don't raise your voice, Antonio! The excise officer is there. Don't be so _small_!" "Have done with your own smallness! I am small; yes, I'm small, and that's just the reason why I want to know! You see, you are driving me mad! Tell me! I insist." Regina turned and looked at him. Her eyes, large and melancholy, sparkled in the reflection of the sunset. Never had Antonio seen them more beautiful, sweeter, deeper. At that moment he was overpowered by some sort of fascination and could not turn away from those eyes, burning and sad like the dying sun. Regina said-- "And when I shall have told you everything you want to know, what will you do? How will you know, how do I know, if the things I have heard are or are not real illusions, evil surmises? or whether the doubt has not come of my own instinct?" "But a few minutes ago you said you didn't believe it! I don't understand you, Regina!" "And I, do I understand you? Can we understand each other? Think, Antonio, think. Have we ever understood each other? How do I know you speak the truth? How do you know I speak the truth? Look," she said, stretching her hand towards the Tiber; "we seem near to each other, while, on the contrary, we are distant as the banks of this river, which for ever gaze at each other, but will never come into touch!"